Learning to Dye

A couple of weeks ago I went to a Fiber Conference up in Riverside. It was great fun to see all the things they had and to shop for new things. I did buy a couple of things, but more important, our Spinning teacher took some classes to come back and teach us.




This is my dyeing project that we are learning about creating a formula to get a certain color that you can reproduce later to dye more yarn to match your project. I picked Denim Blue. We did a test piece of yarn in class and I chose the color that best looked like the color I wanted and then we mixed up enough for me to bring home and dye my yarn.

I had a skein of Columbia 2 ply and another skein of Border Leicester that I had spun really fine to use as sock yarn. I dyed both in the same dye bath. I love both of them. They are different because of the types of wool, but still the same color. The Border Leicester has a sheen to it that I really like. the Columbia is something I want to make more of and knit a sweater. I loved doing it. I think this is something I could do again.













The camera doesn't get the color exactly right. Somewhere between these two


Every time we dye in spinning class I am overwhelmed by all the choices and I really don't know how to put colors together. I know what I like, but that doesn't mean it will work. I haven't had much luck dying roving so I like dying yarn better. This was cool. To get the color I wanted and to test it in class first and then reproduce that color was really thrilling. I seem to do better if I have just a couple of colors to work with.

I think next I am going to do some solar dying. That's fun and not to fussy.

I have had a lot going on, but am knitting another Mr. Green Jeans sweater, only we have reworked for the knitting machine and it fits a lot better. I knit the main body of the sweater on the knitting machine and then am doing the cables by hand. It is turning out really good. I'll take a picture when it is done.

Spin on.............................Sheena